Drama erupted at a Paris courtroom as ten individuals were convicted of orchestrating a relentless cyber-bullying campaign against Brigitte Macron, France’s First Lady and wife of President Emmanuel Macron.
The group ignited a storm on social media, peddling wild conspiracy theories about her gender and sexuality, and firing off scathing comments about the couple’s 24-year age gap.
The verdict? Most received suspended prison sentences—some as long as eight months—except one absconding defendant who was carted off to jail on the spot. The penalty didn’t stop there; several offenders lost their social media privileges, a modern-age punishment fitting their crimes.
Presiding over the case, the judge blasted the accused, eight men and two women, for their deliberate attempts to disgrace Brigitte Macron online through degrading and vile insults. Among those convicted were two notable figures—self-professed independent journalist Natacha Rey and internet psychic Amandine Roy. In 2024, they found themselves in hot water after alleging, astonishingly, that the First Lady was a fabricated persona, and that her brother, Jean-Michel Trogneux, had transitioned and assumed her identity. While initially found guilty of slander, the pair dodged prison after a successful appeal. Judges later ruled that suggesting someone had changed gender was not automatically defamatory—a technicality that’s now being challenged by the Macrons in France’s supreme court.
Following this week’s dramatic ruling, Brigitte Macron’s lawyer, Jean Ennochi, told AFP, “Top priorities are educating offenders and deactivating some of their online profiles.” The effects of this online hate campaign have rippled through the Macron family. Tiphaine Auzière, Brigitte’s daughter from a previous marriage, revealed during the proceedings that her mother’s peace and wellbeing have taken a hit—they now have to scrutinize wardrobe choices and posture, knowing internet trolls are waiting to weaponize any image. Worse, the toxic attacks have spilled into schools, with her grandchildren facing taunts from classmates.
But the Paris proceedings are just the opening act. A blockbuster court showdown is brewing stateside, where Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron have sued conservative influencer Candace Owens for defamation over her high-profile, unsubstantiated claims about the First Lady’s gender. The Macrons accuse Owens of wilfully ignoring irrefutable evidence and giving a platform to notorious conspiracists. On her podcast and social feeds, Owens has repeatedly doubled down, and even declared in March 2024 she’d bet her entire professional reputation on her outlandish theory that Brigitte is “actually a man.”
Initially, presidential advisers urged the Macrons to lay low and avoid fanning the flames, warning any legal action would only magnify the gossip. But as the abuse escalated in 2023, the couple changed tactics—opting to fight back, even if it means exposing personal details in American court. One thing’s clear: France’s first family is done turning the other cheek and is ready to confront the trolls head-on.
